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Distilling dollars in Spring Hill?

Distilling dollars in Spring Hill?

Tim Zaunbrecher gives Liz Lovell of the James K. Polk Association a taste of Amber Falls’ blackberry wine. The Hampshire winery. Amber Falls is one of three wineries located in the Hampshire area near the Lewis and Maury County line.

Distilling dollars in Spring Hill?

Natchez Hills Vineyard has been open in Hampshire since . The winery is now home to a bed and breakfast and is known for hosting events such as weddings and musical performances.

Leaders in Spring Hill believe amending city codes to allow the manufacture of alcohol could grow business for local wineries and microbreweries.

Alderman Jonathan Duda said he will approach the full Board of Mayor and Aldermen this month to change the city code that prohibits the manufacture and wholesale of intoxicating liquors. He said state laws are becoming less prohibitive when it comes to liquor.

“A couple of years ago, the state legislature dramatically changed liquor laws for distilleries, paving the way for distilling in certain areas of state,” he said. “Last year, the state legislature broadened these areas for the rest of the state.”

Duda said he will also request the board change its zoning ordinance to allow wineries and breweries. He said manufacturers and wholesalers would fit under the city’s M-1 or light industrial zoning and restaurants or microbreweries could be accommodated under commercial districts.

Enter Agritourism

Duda said nearby cities and counties have successful agritourism operations that include wineries and breweries. The Amber Falls, Natchez Hills and Keg Springs wineries are all located near Hampshire on the Maury County-Lewis County border. Williamson County is home to Arrington Vineyards and four breweries are operating in the city of Franklin. Duda said plans for two more wineries are currently under way in Franklin and Thompson’s Station.

“Combination microbreweries and restaurants — which might produce high alcohol content beer, considered liquor under the law — are becoming very popular as a business, as are cottage and agritourism wineries and craft distilleries,” Duda said. “I am requesting that we update our municipal code that currently expressly prohibits this activity because we are potentially missing out on these opportunities to neighboring communities.”

Duda said permitting wineries and breweries would help Spring Hill be proactive in bringing in both business and tourism.

“We have had general inquiries in the past from a free-standing restaurant that included a microbrewery,” he said. “Although it has not yet come to fruition, I anticipate that we will likely have interest once we make this change as this is a growing industry and becoming increasingly popular.”

Law differ

While Williamson County chose to opt into state laws permitting wineries and breweries, not all local governments have made the same decision. Columbia and Mt. Pleasant both prohibit the manufacture of any alcohol for profit in their city codes. Maury County’s rules are not as clear. Maury County allows grapes to be grown agriculturally, but the county’s zoning ordinance makes no reference to the legality of breweries or wineries.

County Attorney Daniel Murphy said the issue has never really come before the county commission.

“To my knowledge, we have only had one seller who looked at this area, but he didn’t meet the state requirements,” Murphy said. “The county commission has never really addressed the issue.”

Murphy said the laws about opening wineries or breweries are further complicated as the state has two sets of laws: one pertaining to wineries and another to distilleries.

“For distilleries, I believe there has to be a county referendum and people would have to vote to accept it,” he said. “Wineries are an entirely different animal. Those would either have to be signed off on by the county mayor or county commission.”

While grapes, barley, hops and other ingredients in alcohol can be grown as part of state agriculture, Murphy said the laws regarding selling alcohol to the public and allowing for on-site tastings or consumption of alcohol are more strict. However, he said things are starting to change.

“We are more liberal with these laws than we were maybe 10 years ago,” he said.

Though the Amber Falls, Natchez Hills and Keg Springs wineries are all located in Lewis County, all three businesses have a Hampshire address and bring a considerable amount of visitors to the Maury County area. Maury County Conventions and Visitors Bureau Events Manager Renee Nealy promotes the wineries as they are all members of the Maury County chamber.

changing attitudes

“I think tourism has increased a lot out there,” Nealy said. “They are pulling a lot of people off the Natchez Trace, and they do weddings. With Arrington Vineyards being so close, we do see a market for wine tourism.”

However, Nealy said these wineries must follow strict laws.

“These wineries can sell on-site and in Maury County liquor stores, but we couldn’t have a wine festival or other events in the county,” Nealy said.

Nealy said she can see allowing wineries and microbreweries in Spring Hill as having a positive impact on tourism.

“That is something long-term we would like to see,” she said.

Elizabeth Landrum of Spring Hill creates her own craft beers as a hobby. She said changing attitudes toward the wine industry and microbrewing could mean big bucks for the area.

“Everyone has changed these laws already, and I don’t know why Spring Hill is so behind the times,” she said. “People want new restaurants and places to go. This will only open the door for that side of thing.”

Landrum said Spring Hill has already missed out on business because of restrictive alcohol regulations.

“There have been restaurants that wanted to come to Spring Hill, but because of these laws they can’t,” she said. “The craft beer market is booming right now, and there are so many perks to that. These laws have hurt more than they have helped.”

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